(5.1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications and connectivity services.
(5.2) Description of Related Art
Wireless telecommunications has become important for both business and personal use. FIG. 1A (Prior Art) illustrates an exemplary wireless communications device, a cellular radiotelephone 30 (hereinafter referred to using the common term “cellphone 30”). An antenna 31 sends and receives telecommunication signals 32. The cellphone 30 includes a memory 34a, having programming 34b. A transceiver 36 is provided for transmitting and receiving cellular communications signals via a base station (see FIG. 1B description below). A processor 38 controls the operations and provides an interface between other elements of the cellphone 30, namely a keypad 40, microphone 42, speaker 44, and display 45.
FIG. 1B (Prior Art) depicts a cellular telephone service system 18. There are a plurality of base stations 20A, 20B, 20C wherein each base station defines a respective cell 21A, 21B, 21C. There is at least one mobile switching center 22 connected (illustrated by straight lines) to a subscriber data base 24, a message center 26, and an activation center 27. Each of the base stations 20A–20C conforms to an industry standard (e.g., IS-56B) and sends and receives telecommunication signals (illustrated by lightning-bolt type lines) to and from the message center 26 and subscriber cellphones 30. In addition, the cellular system 18 is also preferably connected via the mobile switching center 22 with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 28 (sometimes referred to in the art as a “land line telephone network”). Under normal operations, the system 18 provides telecommunications to and from subscriber cellphones 30 within a respective cell 20A–20C according to an industry standard such as IS-136. The system 18 supports telecommunications both between a cellphone 30 and the PSTN 28 to land line telephones or another subscriber cellphone. Note that known manner satellite telecommunications can be similarly described.
When a signal 32 between a cellphone 30 and a base station 20A, 20B, 20C fades due to distance from the base station 20A or due to signal interference by man-made structures or geographic features between the cellphone and the base station, relay towers, relay satellites, or the like, an on-going call is often cut off, or “dropped.” This results in customer frustration at both ends of the connection and perhaps added costs to re-establish communication between the parties to the dropped call. One solution has been for the cellphone service providers to credit customers who take the time to complain about a dropped call. This is overhead for all parties concerned.